“Progress will come in fits and starts. It’s not always a smooth line. 
It’s not always a smooth path." 

 – Barack Obama
 

Indivisible-RISE Actions and Events

Getting Down to Business for the 2022 Midterms 

Please join us at our monthly Zoom meeting on Tuesday, October 19 at 7-8 PM when  two experts will  share information about tactical ways to get involved and move the needle for the 2022 Midterms. Discussion will include the best timing for participating in each tactic, why state races are important for our national delegation, and how we can best help make a difference in neighboring New Hampshire where much is at stake. Pre-register for the meeting here.  Our speakers are: 

Reid McCallum, co-founder of Postcards to Swing States, whose volunteers wrote 21 million postcards to voters in 2020. Postcards to Swing States became part of Progressive Turnout Project in 2021, and Reid directs the program full time. 

Lisa DeMio is the Chair of the Democratic Committee for Hampstead, NH, a member of the Rockingham County Democratic Committee and Vice-Chair and founding member of the Rock Hills Coalition. 

Write Postcards for New Hampshire 

Senator Maggie Hassan is running for reelection in a very tight race in November 2022. Let’s start helping our neighboring state early to ensure that new voters are registered and are ready to vote in the Senate, Gubernatorial and other critical NH races.  There are two options to write with us:

• Join us at our weekly outdoor Action Hour on Fridays at 4-5 pm through November 5th (after which it likely will be too cold to write outside). Action Hour is held at the same location each week. If you need the address, email indivisible.rise,newburyport@gmail.com . 

• Starting next week, you can pick up postcard packets of 50 to write and mail on your own by November 30. We’ll provide the postcards, addresses and scripts, and you provide the postcard stamps. There is no charge for the postcards. Complete this form if you would like to participate and we’ll notify you with the most convenient pick up location when the packets are ready. You will have over a month to complete the 50 postcards, and we ask that you mail them at your convenience before the deadline.

 Double Your Impact

Through the end of October, Indivisible National will match all donations made to support Indivisible-RISE Newburyport through our ActBlue account. Please donate to help us continue to offer programs, activities and resources. While we’re all volunteers, we still have expenses for supplies, printing, copies, refreshments, and space rental when we (hopefully soon) get back to in person gatherings. Double your impact by donating here this month. Thank you!  

Combat Political Disinformation

We're continuing to hold weekly action hours with Acton and Andover Indivisible groups at Action Hours to help spread the truth and uncover and report the lies that proliferate and cause so much divisiveness and confusion among voters. We train participants on posting with the Truth Brigade and monitoring social media with Common Cause -- you can choose to try one or both activities. If you already are trained, please join us to work together, share pointers, and enjoy the company. Register here for our sessions on Wednesdays at 11AM or 5PM.  

You also can get involved with stopping the flood of disinformation spread by Fox News through a new group called Defenders Against Democracy (DDAD), co-led by one of I-RISE’s original leaders. DDAD currently has three new campaigns to help slow the spread of disinformation by Fox through easy to complete efforts. Learn more about this group and how you can get involved on DDAD’s website, stopdisinformation.org. 
 

The Clock is Ticking to Help Virginia
 

Many thanks to all of the postcard writers who wrote cards to pro-choice Virginia voters. With your help, we mailed 1,000 completed postcards by last week’s deadline. 

There is still time to help with the critical Virginia elections, the results of which will set the tone and expectations for the 2022 midterms. During these final weeks, the best way to help is by making phone calls. We know phone banking is not a favorite activity for many of you, but it is so impactful and necessary at this point in the election cycle. Plus, there are calling options that are to friendly and appreciative voters and that are substantive and interesting. Here are some ideas, all of which provide training: 

• Call Democrats to recruit poll observers. Click here for more information and sign up for shifts here. 

• Call Democrats whose mail in ballots need to be cured, typically because of a simple issue like missing a signature or address. Click here for information and to register. 

• Call voters in communities of color to help get out the vote. Register here to make calls on your own schedule.  
   

Texting Opportunities  
 

Current options include:

• Text low propensity voters in Pennsylvania to encourage higher turnout in their critical 2021 elections. Register here. Please act fast because there are just two shifts left!

• Check with Movement Labs for availability of varied and interesting campaigns. At the date of this newsletter, they are texting for Black Voters Matter to get out the vote for Nov 2021 local elections in several states.

• Text with MoveOn, which has active texting campaigns most weekdays. MoveOn currently is texting to hold corporations accountable for their continued (or renewed) funding of members of Congress who support the Big Lie that Biden did not win the Presidential election. 

To stay current on texting opportunities, bookmark this helpful guide to texting platforms developed by I-RISE and a collaboration of MA Indivisible Chapters.
 

Protecting the Vote Remains High Priority

Passing the Freedom to Vote Act is critical to  protecting democracy and the right to vote. We need to keep the pressure on!

The best way for each of us to make a difference is to call voters in key states to encourage them to contact their Senators. You can do this by joining a Common Cause phone bank. I-RISE hosts phone banks every Wednesday afternoon, and there are many other options to choose from throughout the week. Register here. 

Also, keep contacting: 

• The White House to urge President Biden to do everything in his power to pass the Freedom to Vote Act, including pressuring senators to reform the filibuster.  Call 202-456-1111 or email here.

• Our Members of Congress to let them know you support the Freedom to Vote Act and ask them to keep pressing for its passage. Reach Senator Markey  at 202-224-2742 or 617-565-8519 or by email here; Senator Warren at 202-224-4543 or 617 565-3170 or by email here; and Congressman Moulton at or by email here. If you live in another state,  call 888-453-3211 to reach your Senator and find your representative’s contact information here if you live in another district. 

Community Events

Click here to access the Indivisible-RISE Actions & Events Calendar listing upcoming interesting and informative events. One highlight in addition to what we have reported in this newsletter is a Force Multiplier Fundraiser for Maggie Hassan on October 28th. 

You can find detailed information about upcoming events and activities on the Indivisible Massachusetts Coalition calendar and the News-MAGIC calendar (MAGIC stands for Massachusetts Grassroots Information Center).
 

Please sign up here to volunteer with I-RISE. Choose among numerous options and devote as much or as little time as you prefer! Every bit makes a difference! 
 

• Bookmark our Event Calendar for events sponsored by Indivisible-RISE and allied organizations.
• Find us on Facebook  and visit our website.